IBM to offer server-based alternative to Microsoft Office, Priced at US$2 per …

Share this story

While IBM has long since had a competitor to Microsoft Office in Lotus SmartSuite, its marketshare has been miniscule and it has not been a serious competitor on the corporate desktop in recent years. IBM is hoping to change that with its Lotus Workplace suite, an application bundle that includes the typical office productivity applications along with e-mail and database programs. Priced at US$2 per user per month, the Workplace suite is a server-based application with the ability to be used offline. Users will be able to connect and access the applications they need to work offline, and then automatically have their work synchronized the next time they log in.

The low price tag for client licenses does not include WebSphere or other IBM server software which is necessary to administer and distribute the applications. Indeed, it is via sales of servers and server software is that IBM hopes to make money on the new offering.

Will Lotus Workplace end up as another piece of roadkill in a space where all highways lead to Microsoft? One advantage that IBM has is that the suite of applications will be truly cross-platform, running on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Also, other application makers such as Siebel, PeopleSoft, and Adobe have committed to making their applications available through IBM's solution. However, like all applications, the software has to actually work well. I have been (mis)fortunate enough to use Lotus Freelance in the recent past, and if IBM wants companies to take Workplace seriously, they will need to ensure that the user experience is on par with Microsoft Office at the very least.